TWO Newport girls can travel in time and space any time they like - thanks to a Tardis in their back garden.

Bassaleg man Paul Williams, 35, who works for a Cardiff estate agents, constructed a life-size replica Tardis for Doctor Who fanatic daughters Charlotte, 7, and Olivia, 3, in time for the summer holidays.

He took on the challenge after Charlotte asked him to, and built the 9 ft tall model from plain square-edged timber planks.

Tardis stands for Time And Relative Dimensions in Space, and is Doctor Who’s transport between different points in space and time.

It was Mr Williams’ first attempt at any sort of carpentry, and took him three months to construct and paint.

The materials and signs cost £600, and he had the signs made professionally to look as close to David Tennant’s time-machine as possible. It took two men to lift it onto the base and put the roof in place.

“Charlotte kept asking me and eventually I gave in and foolishly agreed,” Mr Williams said.

“It was a dad promise and to be honest I didn’t think building it would be as hard as it was. But now its finished it’s a great playhouse for the children and their friends.”

Charlotte, a pupil at Glasllwch Primary School, watches Doctor Who every week and said she was very excited to have the Tardis in her garden.

Her favourite characters from the television programme are the cybermen, and she is enjoying playing time-travelling games with her cousins and friends in her new playhouse.

Her sister Olivia also a big Doctor Who fan and was worried her dad would be whisked off to another time and space in the Tardis when he was building it.

“She came outside saying “Don’t fly away Daddy” because it looked so real,” Mr Williams said.

The children have a key to the Tardis which they wear round their necks.